Open Thread

oh yeah the birds are back :-/ i just noticed the annoying chirping in the alleyway on my bedroom window yesterday morning and this morning. i think that’s the one thing i miss about manhattan, it wasnt infested with loud birds (other than pigeons i guess)! i mean they arent SO bad, but the incessant chirping can be grating on the nerves.

OMGH! so yesterday the infamous poop note neighbor put up another nasty note on the lobby door.. this one said

“this shi+’s ridiculous!!! disgusting person your are!!!”

i looked around and it looked like there were poop smears on the floor EVERYWHERE, so i know for a fact it couldnt my dog and i dont think it was my roommates dog cuz she does not go THAT much.

i just find her (maybe him really i dont know) notes to be so hostile, tho if she stepped in it i guess i can understand. but you dont see other people posting nasty notes when children turn the lobby into a roller rink, people walk their dogs with no leash in the hallway (which hasnt happened in a while actually), and there’s 10 strollers chained to the radiators (tho i dont really find that annoying cuz it’s a giant lobby and a walk up building)

*rob*

Adam,

that’s what I thought. I’ll email you 1 as a test case.

as far as prices, units in these tiny coops have not reflected these constraints – ie no discount at all

Fill in the census, everyone. Agree they probably wasted a lot of money with the letters, but on the other hand, not everyone in this country has even a clue, so in the long run, it might have been a good idea to send them.

Since they only conduct a census every ten years, it really is important to participate, because funding and allocation of resources and representation lasts throughout that entire decade. Bed Stuy, for example, had one of the most undercounted populations in the city. Since allocations of state/city/federal funds are determined by census numbers, they lost out on monies they were eligible for. What that really means, on the ground, is that hospitals, sanitation, social workers, educational programs, police, fire and other first responders, did not get taxpayer funds that would help the community because those who allocate those funds use the census to determine amounts. If the census shows there are, say, 50,000 people in that area who need hospital facilities, they allocate for that. If there are in actuality, 100,000 people who need the same services, but half are not on the books, then we all suffer.

For what it’s worth, this has nothing to do with immigration, illegals, etc. Washington Heights, with a predominant immigrant population, had an 80% census count in 2000. Local community groups, politicians and activists worked really, really hard to get the community counted, and consequently, they got a larger share of funding, per actual population, and their proper share of political representation. They were smart enough to realize the worth in getting people counted.

So if you are going to complain about class size in schools, or amount of money allocated to the community board, or hospital beds, realize that an accurate (as possible) census has an effect on this. Fill it out, and send it in!

(Commmunity service announcement of the day)

Dibs – A friend of mine in the Brandywine Valley tracks about 10 days ahead of here for garden growth.